Your staff should be allowed to bring their babies to work. Here’s why

Employers are continually looking for ways of engaging with and supporting their staff

In a recent article with Forbes, the CEO of Menlo Innovations, Richard Sheridan, spoke about how the workplace should be a happy place and that this, in turn, would increase the productivity and enthusiasm of staff members

In the current climate, employers are continually looking for ways of engaging with and supporting their staff. And one essential facet in achieving this is through gender equality.

In a recent article with Forbes, the CEO of Menlo Innovations, Richard Sheridan, spoke about how the workplace should be a happy place and that this, in turn, would increase the productivity and enthusiasm of staff members.

One of the ways in which it was proposed to improve morale was to allow staff to bring their babies to work. Initially, this may seem to be an unproductive approach to getting the most out of staff, but according to those at Menlo Innovations – it works.

Sheridan explained that he had been open to this trial project because of his love and passion for his own children and how he’d relished the opportunity to help raise them with his wife.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about babies crying in the office as he knew that the first people who would react to this would be the parents. The thought of them not promptly responding to a screaming infant didn’t even cross his mind. Ultimately, he trusted his staff to react appropriately to the situation.

He also went on to talk about just how fulfilling the experiment was for all of his staff members, not just those with children. In many cases, another member of staff would be seen holding the baby in helping the parent out (with their permission of course).

There was a sense that the baby was being brought up by the entire workforce. If the parent was busy and the child started to cry, another member of staff would happily help.

It wasn’t just Sheridan’s staff who found this experiment so rewarding and enthralling; many clients commented that it was fantastic that employees were able to bring their children to work. In essence, by doing this, Sheridan and his firm not only demonstrated the human side of resource management but turned it into a significant selling point.

When asked if he would encourage others to partake in similar experiments, Sheridan was unhesitant in his answer. Excluding those in unsafe work environments, such as pharmaceutical companies, he thoroughly recommended that other firms trial the process, placing trust in their staff.

Many now travel from around the world to visit Menlo’s award-winning business and to experience first-hand his fearless attitude to trying new approaches within the workplace.

This latest experiment has only added to the interest in Sheridan’s business and its on-going commitment to removing antiquated conventions.